New Patient Information & Intake Forms

Before you begin your physical therapy sessions at our facility, we want you to get to know some of our policies and procedures. We ask that all new patients familiarize themselves with this information to make their first visit an easy and productive one.

Q: What should I expect to happen at my first physical therapy appointment?A: The first physical therapy session will last 45 to 60 minutes and is designed to evaluate and assess pain, function, movement deficits, strength, and flexibility issues. In addition, we provide education to you regarding your condition. The specific factors contributing to pain and dysfunction will be identified.

An initial intervention will be provided, but may be shorter than subsequent sessions depending on how long the evaluation lasts. This appointment also allows the doctor of physical therapy to develop a plan of care that will direct which treatment interventions are to be employed during your course of physical therapy.

Q: What should I bring to my first physical therapy session?A: If you have a referral script from a referring health care provider, bring it with you. Any pertinent test results like X-ray or MRI/CT scan reports may be useful but are not required. You may wish to provide a list of prescription medications and supplements. If you are using insurance, bring your insurance card and appropriate insurance information.

Q: What should I wear to my physical therapy appointments?A: If you are coming in straight from work then just show up the way you are. If you have the option, wear comfortable loose clothing to your appointment. We recommend strapless tops or tank tops for female patients being treated for neck and shoulder conditions, and we have gowns and shorts as needed to use during treatment.

Q: How long are my physical therapy appointments?A: Your appointments will last from 45 minutes to a little over an hour. If you have time constraints due to work or other appointments, inform us and we may be able to accommodate your schedule.

Q: Should I expect physical therapy to be painful?A: The purpose of physical therapy is to find pain or dysfunction, treat it, and make it go away. Some testing performed during the initial evaluation may illicit or reproduce your pain. This is only done to help narrow down specific problems in order to help us treat them. Some of the treatment interventions used my produce pain during the first few sessions, but only for the right reasons (for example loosening up tight scar tissue).

There are conditions in which it is okay to experience treatment-related discomfort or soreness during or after the sessions, as long as it progressively gets better and less painful until there is no pain. There are other conditions for which the treatment will be painless. Your therapist will be able to determine which tests and treatments you will need.

Some patients experience delayed muscle soreness, which can hurt for a day or two after a session, but then the original pain they came in with is better or gone. Others become more aware of a previously minor pain when the initially more painful areas stop hurting. If you have any pain response, it should be discussed with your treating therapist to clarify if the treatment plan of care should be modified in any way. Ultimately over the course of your treatment, the original pain should subside and any “new” pains experienced should also go away as you continue to heal.

Q: How do I continue to make gains between physical therapy treatments?A: The interventions provided during therapy sessions are important but the recommendations made by your therapist regarding specific therapeutic exercises and modifications to posture, lifting technique, pillows, and shoes also help with your recovery. It is very important that you follow the appointment schedule recommended by your therapist and follow the specific instructions given to you regarding your home program such as stretching exercises. If you are unclear in any way or feel that you are not continuing to make progress, discuss this with your treating therapist so we can modify your plan of care if needed to help get things back on track.

Q: What is the goal I should expect in physical therapy with Advance Physical Therapy?A: On your first visit, we discuss any activities with which you are having pain or difficulty. This forms the basis of the goals for your physical therapy. The treatment interventions we provide will address the specific reasons you are having the pain or dysfunction.

By the end of your course of physical therapy, the goal is to be able to perform those activities pain-free and without difficulty. We will also provide you with a plan to help keep it this way and reduce chances of repeat episodes of the same condition.